Gambling with Love
by Flare Conlon
Summary: Dice Russo, a Sheepshead bay newsie, falls for a Manhattan boy (Can we all guess who?), but will her leader Connie deal with it?
1. Dice

Gambling with Love.  
Part 1  
  
"C'mon, get up, get up. Those papes ain't gonna sell themselves ya know!" cried a familiar voice. Donata Russo yawned and buried her face deeper into the thin pillow. *It can't be morning already!* she thought. *I'se just getting ta sleep. Why, da sun ain't even up yet!* The Italian girl rolled over to face her best friend Bridget O'Conner looking her in the face.  
"Mornin Dice!" She called, her blonde hair bouncing. Her blue eyes sparkled with joy. The Irish girl never seemed to stop grinning. Perhaps that was how she got her newsie name. Dice had gotten hers by her constant gambling.  
"Beat it Smiles, I'se to tired ta listen ta youse today." Grumbled Dice tiredly.  
"Yeah, well Connie says ta get up." Dice rolled her eyes. No one, not even Jack Kelly, bothered to mess with Connie. The leader of the Sheepshead Bay newsies was tough as nails. Dice rolled over and fell out of her bed.  
*Good thing ise got a bottom bunk.* she thought. Dice walked into the washroom the 20 girls shared and looked in the mirror. Her black hair hung loosely around her face and her green eyes glowed. She really wasn't bad looking, just shy. She combed her hair, placed her cabbie hat on her head, and followed the others out to sell newspapers.  
Three hours later, Dice yelled random headlines to try and sell her last 30 papes.  
"Winter homes on Fire! Citizens lend in killing spree!" The real headlines spoke of higher heating bills and lending charges. She finished and decided to go to the horse races. When she got there, a young boy was betting on a horse named "Cat's Meow."  
"C'mon," she called, "Dat horse's bound ta loose. It's Grassfire ya gotta bet on."  
The Italian boy glared at her.  
"Shaddup. Any way, who said I need help from a goil?" She glared at him.  
"All right, I'll prove it to ya." She turned to the betting booth. "Three bits on Grassfire, ta win." He smirked.  
"Youse ready ta loose goil?"  
"Are you?"  
The race started, each newsie cheering for their horse.  
"C'mon Grassfire!"  
"Youse can do it Cat's Meow!" The announcer called out the name of the winning horse.  
"Blaster!"  
"What!?" they both yelled at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed. When they finally stopped, they looked at each other.  
"Ise Dice Russo, from Sheepshead." She said.  
"And ise Racetrack Higgins, from Manhattan." They spent the after noon together and split apart as evening neared. Dice realized she thought about race all the time. She suddenly couldn't wait to go to sell tomorrow.  
END  
*Disclaimer. Disney owns the movie Newsie, Jack Kelly and Racetrack  
Higgins. Connie, Smiles, and Dice are mine. Please tell me what you  
think. 


	2. Race

Gambling With Love  
Part 2 Disclaimer: I own them ALL! MWHAHA! No, Disney does, but dice, Smiles,  
and Connie are mine.  
  
Racetrack Higgins lay nervously on his bunk.  
'C'mon, How much longah is it gonna be? Morning ain't nevah been dis slow ta come before.' he thought angrily. Usually, morning came all too soon for the newsboy, but now it was different. Finally, after what seemed like years, Klpoppman came in to wake the boys.  
"C'mon, carry da bannah! Sell da papes!" Race jumped up from his bed, not even bothering to yell at Snipeshooter for stealing his cigar.  
"Heya Race." called Kid Blink, but Race didn't even hear.  
'Gotta get to da races, I gotta meet Dice.' he thought.  
Jack Kelly watched Race with concern. Every day for the past two weeks, Race had run off to sell faster than Les ran to food. He was beginning to worry.  
"Hey Mush, ya notice anyting different wit Race da past coupla 'o weeks?"  
"What, ya mean besides da fact he's lost 'is mind? Nah!"  
"So you'se noticed it too. I'se worried. Mabey he's sick."  
"Lets let 'im be. He'll get ovah it." Jack waved goodbye to a fleeting Race as he ran out the door.  
"'Ere I come Dice!" he said happily.  
  
SHOUTOUTS!  
  
Snipah Higgins: YAY!!! My first review! I'm glad you liked it! Here's more for you!  
  
Blaze: Yes Blaze, I know you read it before it was online. You know you love your twin! (My unrelated twin sister!)  
  
Gamester Cladsl: I'm so glad you liked it. Here's more.  
  
I know this chap sux, but I'm just getting started.  
  
Luv an Spiffiness!  
  
Carrin Da Bannah!  
  
~Flare~ 


	3. Meeting

*Waves* Heya! Sorry I haven't updated.... DON'T HURT MEEEE!!!!! *Runs in fear of reviewers.* NEWayz... here it is!  
  
Sniper Higgins: Sorry it took so long!  
  
Pomade: T.Y.! I love reviews!  
  
Disclaimer: I OWN SPOT!!!!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok... so... no... But Connie, Dice, Smiles, and Fox are Mine! Please ask to use them.  
  
Gambling with Love  
  
Dice stood in the middle of Central Park. She looked around, nervously. She had been seeing Race for about three months now, and it was still a secret. She hadn't told anybody... not even Smiles.  
"I shoah hope Connie don't find out about dis... she hates da 'Hattan boys..." Dice whispered softly, then her thoughts changed.  
"Weah is dat boy?" she wondered aloud, looking around. "I'se been waitin hear for over an hour!"  
A hand covered her mouth and pulled her closer. She tensed up, trying to escape whoever it was.  
"Been waitin long, doll?" a soft New York accent asked. She pulled away and turned to find Race laughing.  
"Racetrack! You scared me half ta death!" She cried, smiling in spite of herself. Race smiled and pulled her in closer.  
"Sorry Dollface." He murmured, "I didn't mean ta keep youse waitin..."  
"It's ok Racey..." she murmured in return. He kissed her lips, then moved down to her chin and neck. Dice shivered and smiled. When he finally stopped, the last thing on her mind was fear.  
"C'mon, let's go get some chow." Race suggested. Dice smiled in return.  
"Shoah..."  
The two love birds walked deeper into the park, never noticing the shadow constantly behind them. Fox, a small redhead, and one of Connie's most trusted spies was watching them...  
"Just wait'll Connie heahs bout dis..." she purred evilly as she ran back to Sheepshead Bay. "Poor Dice is toast."  
  
*Sorry again it took so long, or that this chap is bad. Sorry! GRR! Evil writers block!* 


	4. Secrets

**Heya all! Is beaten by tirade of angry reviewers. Ahhh! I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long. I had a total writer's block meltdown, but I'm back now, so her it is.**

**I'm sorry to say I also lost all of my reviews for the last chappie. I luv u all newayz!**

**Flare**

Fox stole back to Sheepshead Bay, determined to ruin Dice Russo once and for all. Her red hair danced in the wind as she imagined the reward she would get form Connie once she got back. She darted into Connie's room in the boarding house.

"Well? C'mon Foxie, what'd ya find?"

"Plenny Connie. Dice is seein dat ex Brooklyn boy Higgins, Dey's serious. _Real _serious."

"I see…" muttered Connie. "Well, we'll just have ta fix lddle miss Dice Russo, won't we…" she smiled evilly.

"Dice! Hey! Dice!" called the irrepressible voice of Smiles O'Conner "So, how'd it go? Did Race show?"

"Yeah Smiles, he showed, an it was poifect. He was sweet an nice an a real gennelman."

"Oh, " laughed Smiles, "So he paid your gambling debts?"

"I'm gonna pay youse!" yelled Dice lungeing after her. As the two friends wrestled, a cold voice cut through their merriment.

"Hey, Russo. Connie wants ya." Dice gave Smiles a nervous glance and nodded.

"Heya Race! Where was ya?" called Jack Kelly later that night, after Race had come back.

"None a yer business Kelly!" Race shot back playfully.

"Was ya out wit a goil?" asked Mush laughing."

"Yah!" Kid Blink shot back, "Lady Luck!"

"He youse morons, as a mattah a fact I was wit a goil. Sweet little numbah by da name a Dice Russo." Jack sat bolt upright.

"Dice." He said, "The Sheepshead goil?"

"Yah, so?"

"So nuthin Racetrack! She's one a Connie's goils."

"Connie hates us." Specs put in.

"Crap." Muttered Race, what would happen to Dice if Connie ever found out?

**That's all kids! Review or I'll send snider after youse!**

**Flare**


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